Opera Mini coming to Samsung’s Tizen-based Gear S smartwatch

While I do sometimes wear a watch, it is not for telling time. No, I strictly wear a timepiece as jewellery - a gold Michael Kors watch on my left wrist to complement the gold bracelet on my right. It's funny, even when wearing a watch, I reach into my pocket to check my phone for the time.

A smartwatch may be the thing to change this for me, as it allows you to have a computing experience without pulling out a smartphone; however, many of them are fairly limited. Today, Opera brings its Mini browser to Samsung’s Tizen-based Gear S smartwatch, enabling a full web-browsing experience on your wrist.

"Opera Mini includes many touch-friendly features that become extra handy on a smartwatch. For example, the website shortcuts on Opera Mini’s Speed Dial appear as large buttons, enabling Gear S users to reach their favourite sites in a single tap. You can easily navigate the web on your Samsung Gear S. To zoom, double-tap with a finger, or, to get a more precise view, just pinch to zoom. A gentle swipe with your finger will take you forward and back", says Opera.

The company further explains, "the Smart Page feature displays links based on the sites you visit most frequently; a number of suggested links are also displayed by category. You can even add your social-media networks to the Smart Page, for more convenient access to your newsfeeds. You can easily save webpages for offline reading, too, which is perfect for maps that you might need for a hike or run in an area with sketchy internet coverage".

Would you want to do all of your web surfing on a tiny watch screen? Of course not. However, it is very much appreciated, as there will definitely be times when its existence will lend to convenience.

Sometimes you are in a situation where pulling out a phone is not appropriate. With Opera mini on your wrist, you can easily access your favourite websites for football scores or tech news without being easily noticed. Hell, a Samsung Gear S may be in my future!